The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the National Fish Habitat Partnership (CFDA 15.686) program, awarded American Rivers Inc. a $161,657 cooperative agreement effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award supports strengthened coordination and expanded impact of the Ohio River Basin Fish Habitat Partnership (ORBFHP) by funding a full-time coordinator position and development of a new five-year strategic and action plan through fiscal year 2026. American Rivers Inc. will house the coordinator and lead all administrative, planning, outreach, and reporting activities on behalf of the partnership.
Key deliverables under this award include publication of a comprehensive FY2026-2030 strategic and action plan, a 10% increase in project applications, creation of a new aquatic connectivity workgroup, refreshed communications materials, and expanded committee representation. The coordinator will manage grant program operations, develop outreach materials, and expand stakeholder engagement across federal, state, tribal, academic, and nonprofit partners in the Ohio River Basin region. The partnership's work is intended to benefit aquatic ecosystems and communities through improved habitat connectivity and restoration efforts across the basin.